Power Outage

Food Safety During a Power Outage

When is your refrigerator food still safe? When should you toss it? Here's the definitive guide to power outage food safety.

Refrigerator door being opened during a power outage

The number one food safety mistake during power outages is opening the refrigerator repeatedly to check on things. Every time you open it, you let cold air out.

The FDA FoodSafety.gov has specific guidance on power outage food safety by food type. Here's a practical summary of the key timelines.

Next StepsUse the related guides and free checklists below to keep building your household preparedness.

Power Outage
Power Outage Plan
Food Storage
Food Storage